News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-09-22
LUBBER DICK.
BY j. VI. MERRILL.

sented h mself at the door of Woodlands
mill shanty and asked for job.
Dan Chambers, the giant of our crew,
stepped aside with the ragged tramp and
held a whispered consultation, every
now and then winking with his off eve
at the boys standing about.
After little the fellow walked away,
passing drought the gate with a listless
air, and dumping down the road
amidst chorus of laughter and sarcastic
remarks from the assembled millmen.
Wall, by thunder see, boys, the
Teller is goin' inter MAJOR Woodlands
yard" cried Sam Horton, the sandy
teamster, with broad grin
''Of course" returned Chambers. HE
wants job, and sent him to the old
man..
Look out, Dan, you'll go too far in
your jokes yet"
''BOtheration! reckon the Major can
see good thing as well as the next man.
He'll tell the lubber that he amt hiring
men just now, and thatll be the end Of
it."
But it was not the end of it by any
means.
That night Lubbcr Dick, as he called
himself, appeared at the shanty in neat
new aoveralls and wamus, the gift of the
Major he said, much to the establishment
OF the boys. And he was hired, too. and
given place IN the mill, much to the
surprise and disgust of Dan Chambers
and others. Lubber Dick was good for
nothing tramp, and the idea of putting
him among decent men was insufferabIe.
We'll catch some unheard-of disease
from the critter, avowed the teamster.
land | for one don't mean to stand it.
FIJI quit first. The old Major must ben
crazy"
''Wait, urged Dan Chambers. "Thcre
was man needed in the mill, and the
Major hired the first one that came along.
Trust 1t to me, boys, he won't stay long.
I'll send him off with flea in his ear be-
fore he's been here week.
| was a boy then, choring about the
cooks shanty. l saw Lubber Dick only
evenings and at meal time. He was not
prepossessing nor smart; this thought
was reason enough for giving him
respectful treatment. A gang of men are
sometimes the most unreasonable beings
on earth, and Woodlands crew were of
this sort.
Scarcely word fell from the lips of
Lubber Dick while in the house. He
was morose, unpleasant fellow, and the
jokes aimed at him fell on barren ground
Rldlcuie had no effect on his obtuse
nature. Dan Chambers began to feel
desperate.
'I'll fix him yet" he muttered in nv
hearing one morning. Tonight we're
to have wrestle. The Digit boys are
coming over, and you may look for big
time. | think Lubber Dick won't want /
any truck with millmen after tonight"
This put the man addressed, Horton. I
in good humor, and so all went we'll that .
day.
The sun was an hour high when a I
goodly company assembled on the turf |
in front of our shanty, ring was formed !
and the wrestling began. Dan Chambers |
was our champion, but tonight he went
down before the proves of Hi Digit of
the opposition crew.
''Will you permit me to take hold?r
All were astonishcd when Lubber Dick
put this question to Chambers.
Eyes; take hold" growled Dan, and
turned modify away The crowd was
breaking up. Our side had lost. and the
trick Chambers had meditated against
Lubber Dick was forgotten in chagrin
over defeat
''Hal look there!'
1t was sight to see. Hiram Digit
lay on his back under the knee of the
tramp.
"Eh2"
Dan Chambers rubbed his eyes.
"You can't do it again. growled
Digit, enraged at losing the champion
ship.
. INV I 4,
response. lie did try, and again the
champion was laid low. After the third
fall the Dights gave it up, and Lubber
Dick was the hero of the hour. Such u
shout asrent the heavens! 1t is ringing
in my ears yet.
A sudden revolution took place, and
no one wanted Lubber Dick turned
adrift now. Stay, there was one. Dan
Chambers had been our leader and cham
pion boxer and wrestler, and now he
was bounced in twinkIing, and the
tramp workman occupied his place.
From that hour the boys of our crew
defended Lubber Dick, and Dan Cham
bers became his deadly enemy.
What little things change the whole
course of human events. The gay and
companionable Chambers became gloomy
and sour. He lost no opportunity to
tease Lubber Dick, and tried hard to
involve him in a quarrel.
Dick utterly refused. Finally, how
ever, the time of test came. l remember
it as though but yesterday, and l never
recur to that time without sad feeling
at heart
The stage one night brought q passen-
ger who looked at Dan Chambers and
called him father-a boy of ten, with
laughing blue eyes and curling golden
hair, as prettya child as / ever saw. This
was the first intimation the boys of Wood
lands mill ever had that Chambers was
married. He explained Immediately that
his boy had been living with a sister,
and that his wife had bcen dead some
years. Father and son were delighted to
meet, and from that moment the old-time
jollity returned to Chambers Once,
few days later, 1 saw the boy, Arthur, in
converse with Lubber Dick. Dan saw it
too, and was very angry.
The saw room was directly over the
great water wheel, in one corner of the
mill. From the single window of the
room the hill was to be seen not twenty
feet distant, a narrow road winding
about its base. From the window it was
sheer descent of twenty feet to logs,
water and stones below. Just at dusk
one summer evening Dan Chambers en-
tered the mill, and looking into the saw
room, discovered Lubber Dick on long
bench fast asleep. Instantly Dan saw an
opportunity for revenge For some reason
Lubber Dick had won the confidence of
his employer, and now occupied the berth
of night Waterman. His tour did not
come on till midnight, however.
'I'I fix him." thought Chambers, and
going out cautiously he locked the door
aud put the key in his pocket. He
meant to report the man as neglccting his
duty, and if possible procure his dis
charge, since he knew it would be
impossible for Dick to escape without the
key One of the men induced Chambers
to visit lake three miles away for jack
fishing. and, strange as it may appear, he
forgot the imam locked III the saw-room
unit! reminded of it most forcioly
Returning about midnight, \ light in
the1heavcns suddenly attracted the no
ticc Of the two fishermen,